Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

In the Guard Bureau's ranks, Swire looked at Ya's figure lying on the ground, sniffed with emotion.

Hoshiguma, who was standing next to her, noticed Swire's movements and was somewhat surprised:

"My dear lady, when did you become so sentimental?"

“I’m not being sentimental, I’m just happy,” Swire said excitedly, pointing to the shopping street. “Do you know who owns this street? It’s all money!”

Xingxiong: “…”

When Swire mentioned money, Hoshiguma felt as if he had been enlightened and quickly took out his terminal to start recording.

This time it was Swire's turn to be surprised:

"How did you end up working as a journalist?"

“My dear lady, I’m not like you, where you can just pick any street in Lungmen and it’s yours.” Hoshiguma smiled wryly. “A poor working-class person like me still needs to find some extra money to earn. I’ll ask Governor Wei later if this video can be circulated.”

If I get permission, this firsthand video of mine could definitely fetch a good price… Speaking of which, there's someone in the sky who looks rather familiar.”

Swire knew who Hoshiguma was referring to, and raised his chin to explain:

"No doubt about it, he is Old Li from the Li Detective Agency. I always thought that there was something hidden under his carefree appearance, but I never expected him to be such a master."

"Impressive, impressive, a true master hidden in plain sight."

Hoshiguma slapped the old carp possessed by Wang in the sky repeatedly, capturing the figure holding a sword in one hand and stepping on the void from all angles in the mirror.

"If nothing unexpected happens, Lao Li will be on the news!"

She said happily, "I'm going to make a small fortune thanks to him too."

Compared to the ease and joy of being crushed by Chongyue's punch during the Longmen Crisis, the martial artists in Yumen were not in a good mood.

They were determined to fight for Yumen, but Zuo Xuanliao completely suppressed them with just a few words.

These frustrated warriors were all seething with resentment. Although they no longer interfered in the city's affairs, they still couldn't stay quietly at home.

A martial arts expert barged into his usual clinic, shouting:

"Huai Wuchi, such a big thing happened in Yumen, where have you been... Hey? Was the clinic robbed?"

The man stopped mid-sentence, startled by the mess inside the clinic.

He quickened his pace, calling out Huai Tianpei's nickname all the way, and barged into the inner hall of the clinic, where he was immediately hit in the face by a strong aroma of medicine.

Huai Tianpei was shirtless, his chest was wrapped in a dense bandage, and he had many small wounds on his body that he did not treat, letting them heal on their own.

In front of Huai Tianpei, a pot of medicinal soup was being simmered.

"This is a medicinal soup for treating internal injuries. Are you that badly injured?"

Those who practice martial arts often know a little about medicine, and the martial artist quickly recognized the effects of the medicine, which shocked him.

He knew Huai Wuchi's skills well; he had never been defeated in all the years he had been in Yumen, and no one had ever been able to hurt him.

Huai Tianpei didn't even turn his head, and said indifferently, "Close the door, you've dispersed the medicinal aroma."

The martial artist closed the door behind him, suppressing his surprise as he explained his purpose:

"A major incident has occurred in Yumen. A pair of inverted cities suddenly descended from the sky. If nothing unexpected happens, this kind of event must be another calamity caused by a giant beast. Now, all the martial arts representatives in the city are gathering at the sword-making workshop, hoping to discuss this matter with Master Meng."

You're one of the top experts in Yumen, I was just about to call you, but I didn't expect you to be injured. You should take good care of yourself then.

"Hmph, a giant beast? Just a fool." Huai Tianpei sneered, "He's just sitting on a gold mine without knowing how to use it, leaving all my expectations dashed."

The information revealed in Huai Tianpei's words made him momentarily lost in thought.

After a long pause, he exclaimed in surprise, "You've already fought that giant beast? This injury was inflicted by it... No, you only suffered this little injury after fighting it?"

“An agent is not the entity itself.”

Huai Tianpei made no attempt to put on airs, stating frankly, "If I were to truly face His true form, I wouldn't be able to withstand that attack."

The warrior scratched his head and paced around the room, then suddenly became excited:

"Since you've fought against it, that's good. Tell me quickly what tricks that giant beast has up its sleeve, so we can be mentally prepared."

Huai Tianpei lifted the lid of the casserole in front of him, sprinkled in a handful of medicinal herbs, and then said unhurriedly:

"That idiot may seem extraordinary, but his weakness is quite obvious."

Meng Tieyi's feelings were complicated.

He is a native of Yumen and has personally experienced how Yumen has prospered to this day, as well as witnessed the evolution of Yumen's policies.

He didn't want to see the chaos of the past cause Yumen to fall apart, so he made a deal with the Shan Hai Clan, hoping to use their chaos to bring Yumen back to the days when everyone was united.

Unfortunately, Qi Yan's arrival shattered his dream of achieving great things with just three sentences.

He realized that the calamity that had befallen Yumen was beyond the control of an old man like him. In addition, the blueprint given to him by Nian made him unable to resist immersing himself in it and becoming indifferent to worldly affairs.

But an accident is called an accident precisely because it always arrives so suddenly.

A group of martial artists, who could be described as having high moral character but were also hotheaded, forcibly broke into the sword-making workshop, scaring Du Yaoye into screaming repeatedly and successfully diverting Meng Tieyi's attention from the blueprints.

When he came into the courtyard, he saw the twin cities hanging upside down overhead.

Even someone who had fought in wars, run a shop, and experienced the highs and lows of life couldn't help but freeze for a few seconds.

"Master Meng, there's no time to be surprised!"

The cacophony of voices from the martial artists brought Meng Tieyi back to his senses.

“Master Meng, General Zuo has gone too far. He clearly doesn’t trust us martial artists!”

"It's one thing if the common people aren't allowed to participate—they don't have the ability anyway—but how are we martial artists any worse than soldiers?"

"Back when Yumen was not yet secure, we warriors and soldiers fought off those bandits together. How many bones of our ancestors are buried in the desert outside Yumen? And now, a single sentence from someone surnamed Zuo has excluded us?"

Meng Tieyi listened with a sense of helplessness.

These complaints, aren't they also what he was thinking?

But sometimes, circumstances are beyond our control.

"Master Meng, why don't you speak?" a martial artist questioned. "Have you betrayed us too?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Tieyi glared at the man, who immediately shrank back and became obedient.

"Please calm down, everyone." Meng Tieyi took a breath and said slowly, "I am fortunate enough to know some of the details of this incident. I can only say that there are some things that are indeed difficult for us to do."

I also dislike General Zuo's attitude, but I urge everyone not to act impulsively. Did we think that when our forefathers fought for Yumen Pass, we could disregard General Zuo's orders and act arbitrarily?

He paused for a moment at this point.

Seeing that everyone was thinking seriously, he continued:

"I will find an opportunity to meet with General Zuo and demand an explanation for everyone. However, if everyone causes other trouble due to impulsiveness, and if we cannot unite as one in the face of the crisis at Yumen, even if we win this battle, Yumen will still be lost."

"You all have come to my sword-making workshop to discuss matters, which means you all acknowledge my abilities, Meng. I will certainly do my utmost to live up to your expectations!"

After saying that, Meng Tieyi strode towards the distant gate.

The martial artists in the courtyard immediately made way.

Just as Meng Tieyi was about to push open the door, it was suddenly opened from the outside.

"Good news! I know the weakness of that behemoth!"

Chapter 919 Although Li Boli didn't understand, Li Boli was very happy.

The walls of Yumen are very high. If you stand on the edge of the walls, you can even overlook the scenery of the neighboring Longmen.

But the soldiers stationed on the city wall had no interest in admiring this magnificent man-made landscape.

The twin cities hanging overhead looked even lower, and the patterns on the paving stones in the streets and alleys could be vaguely seen.

As the setting sun gradually moved westward, the twin cities became even brighter than at midday.

The orange-red light, cascading down at an angle, seemed to drape the four cities facing each other in a dazzling cloak.

Zuo Le climbed the winding steps of the city wall.

A soldier saw him and immediately went up to him to remind him:

"Young master, General Zuo is discussing matters with Master Meng of the sword-making workshop in the south of the city."

"...Well, then I'll wait a moment."

Zuo Le nodded calmly.

His reaction surprised the soldier.

Although my young master is not usually arrogant and domineering, he is always impulsive and rash. Why did he suddenly change his nature today?

Just as the soldier was wondering what was going on, he saw Meng Tieyi walk past him calmly.

The soldiers were even more surprised.

Although he was just a greenhorn, he knew Meng Tieyi's identity; in Yumen, he was a respected senior figure.

When this man came up to him in a menacing manner, he thought Meng Tieyi was going to stand up for the military and have a big argument with his general.

Why did they part ways so abruptly after only a short chat?

Meng Tieyi walked past the soldiers, nodded to Zuo Le as a greeting, and Zuo Le obediently performed the junior's greeting before walking to find his father.

The two brushed past each other and went their separate ways, leaving the soldier standing there scratching the feathers beside his ear.

After a moment of confusion, Liboli naturally made peace with himself.

"There are too many things on this land that I can't understand, I'm too lazy to think about them. Anyway, I'll just follow the general's orders and fight wherever he tells me to."

After letting things take their course, Li Boli quickly returned to his patrol post.

On the other side, Zuo Le also walked to his father's side.

"Were you reprimanded by the Grand Tutor?" Zuo Xuanliao said calmly.

A look of shame crossed Zuo Le's face, and he took the initiative to apologize:

“Father, I was too impulsive before. I always only looked at the immediate appearance when considering things. I didn’t know that you and the Grand Tutor had already made plans.”

"That doesn't have to be the case."

Zuo Xuanliao's tone was somewhat cryptic.

He didn't blame Zuo Le, and he was also a little conflicted.

The youthful spirit is something many people are eager to shake off in their youth, only to regret it later and yearn to find again but can never attain.

Zuo Xuanliao was always displeased by Zuo Le's impulsiveness, but when he saw Zuo Le so depressed and trying to appear calm, Zuo Xuanliao couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Ultimately, Zuo Le was just a teenager. It was only because of Zuo Xuanliao, the son of a general, that he had been holding back his ambition all these years, wanting to prove himself and not let others laugh at Zuo Xuanliao.

Zuo Xuanliao raised his head.

The towering walls of Yumen made him the person closest to the inverted twin cities hanging in the sky.

Zuo Xuanliao could clearly see another version of himself, and he could also see the sighs and helplessness in his own eyes.

"Zuo Le, you had contact with Qi Yan in Shang Shu. What do you think of Qi Yan?" Zuo Xuanliao suddenly asked.

"...Zuo Le can't see through him." Zuo Le said with distress, "His personality is too strange. He says nonsensical things and does nonsensical things, but he can always firmly grasp the development of the situation. To be honest... I envy him a little."

Zuo Xuanliao chuckled softly: "On this land, how many people can help but envy Qi Yan?"

“Father, I know you’ve been anxious these past few days, but perhaps you don’t need to put yourself through this,” Zuo Le comforted him.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Xuanliao couldn't help but find it amusing.

He had just felt sorry for Zuo Le, but now Zuo Le was comforting him, her father, first.

Zuo Le, unaware of his father's thoughts, continued speaking to himself:

"Although I can't see through Qi Yan, after getting to know him over this period of time, I can understand that he is not a bad person. Maybe he likes to tease the people around him, but when real danger comes, he will be the first person to stand in front of everyone."

“Yes, he has already stepped forward,” Zuo Xuanliao said leisurely, “standing before everyone else on this land.”

He had only offered a small compliment, so why was his father praising Qi Yan to the skies?

No, Dad, when did you become a fanboy of Qi Yan?

"What are you thinking about?"

Zuo Xuanliao noticed that Zuo Le's thoughts were wandering and pulled him back to reality: "Do you think Yumen and Longmen can safely survive this calamity?"